Matthew 5:43-48 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Leviticus 19:18 – “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
We all know what can be our “natural” response when we are attacked, we want to defend ourselves. Often that means to attack back. Yet we know that we are called to not do that. Jesus states that not only are we not to attack back, but we are love our enemies and pray for them. The lament rises from the church pews that obeying this command from Jesus is too hard. Jesus did not ask us to do what He was not already doing. The Word says that God loved us while we were still enemies to Him. In fact while we were an enemy, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:10). Therefore, our supreme example, Jesus, has shown us by His own actions how we should live and love (1 Peter 2:21-25).
While the “flesh” rises up against the will and the desire to love those who hurt us, the Spirit of God calls us to obey the Word. The inability to do so really comes down to the inability to submit our will to God, to be willing to live out His will. If we are fully submitted to the Lord, to His Holy Spirit, then we submit. Of course this is a continuous work on our part. We get better as we learn to submit. Still, are we purposely dragging our feet? Are our heels dug in? Is there that one incident, or series of incidents, or person, or persons that we refuse to forgive? Do we think the Lord would say to us “Oh, I know I said to love and pray for the offender(s), but I didn’t know that would happen to you? Wow you are excused!” Silly, right? There are no excuses not to love and forgive those who hurt and wound us. None!
Let us bring our rebellious nature and will before God and ask Him to make us like Him that we might obey. Let us cast aside our rebellion and display our love for our Savior and Lord by displaying our love for others. If we are not submitted to Christ, if He is not truly our Lord and Master, is He our Savior? Yes, we are saved by grace, but Jesus said that if we love Him we will obey Him (John 14:15). Lacking love is a very ominous and foreboding sign (1 John 4:8). When speaking about love the Apostle John once told His congregation “When you learn to love, I’ll move on to another subject.” Family, it is a lifelong battle that we only win by surrendering our will to God. By loving God. Then it is possible to love all others.
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.